


Heart and Soul

by Vixvox



Series: Heart and Soul [1]
Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:54:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24040918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixvox/pseuds/Vixvox
Summary: The story of how Bro'teggak meets his mate Chel in Frostfire Ridge
Series: Heart and Soul [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1734226





	1. The Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter of my very first paid commission. I"m happy to finally share it with you all.

The bitter cold brushed it’s way through Bro’teggak’s furs reminding him of how truly alone he really was.

Even with the freedom that was won for him by General Grak’zir and his new allegiance to the Mag’har Clan, the orc still felt separated from his newfound kin. He had simply spent too much time trapped in Spine’s Laughing Skull camp, threatened at knife point so that his mother would make weapons for his wicked goals.

He didn’t blame his mother for throwing away her pride and honor to save his life, but it still made it hard to mingle with others in the Mag’har. He often spent his days alone, wandering the terrain of Draenor with only a Gorgrond Wasp at his side.

“Come Glowstick,” Bro’teggak said, “we need to train you if you’ll survive the winter.”

Bro’teggak looked at Glowstick as he spoke.

The wasp was noticeably small and malnourished. His fluttering wings didn’t have the lift that most wasps possessed. His body looked wrinkled at places that often made Bro’teggak wonder if even he could help train the wasp. But there was a spirit in the beast that demanded that Bro’teggak try.

The wasp fluttered and chittered as it followed his master. Bro’teggak reached inside of his pack for an apple to feed the insect. He has his grip on the small red fruit when the earth shook.

He widened his stance and struggled to remain on his feet as the small quake rocked the land. Bro’teggak searched for shelter when he heard the crack of lightning and the the loud crash and clack of hooves smashing down on stone.

“Come on Glowstick!” Bro’teggak said as he righted himself then rushed towards the lightning with Glowstick close behind.

The steady rumble and quake of the earth didn’t make it any easier as the orc threw himself upon the hill and buried his fists into the moist dirt beneath the snow that covered Frostfire Ridge. He grunted and pulled himself inch by inch to the apex of the hill when he finally saw the source of the noise.

At the bottom of the hill, a large spined boar was locked in vicious combat with an orc who bore orange skin and dark tattoos that Bro’teggak could barely see from beneath the woman’s furred armor. In her hands were a pair of axes whose edges were sticky with blood. The woman fought with the ferocity Bro’teggak had only seen in Warsong orcs but with a command of lightning that could put many shamans to shame.

And yet she was losing.

Bro’teggak could see the blood that covered the woman’s furs were mostly her own. Her movements which should have been powerful strides in a dance of steel were languid skips and slides at the beasts whims. If she could not overcome the beast, then the beast would feast upon her and Bro’teggak could not take that chance.

“GLOWSTICK!” Bro’teggak said, “AID THE WOMAN!”

As the wasp flew down the hill, Bro’teggak drew the rifle from his back. He squinted as he stared down the barrels sights and lined up his shot. As the wasp joined the fighting and stung the beast in the eye making it howl in rage, the Blackrock orc held his breath and squeezed the trigger.

The gun’s eruption echoed across the valley. The bullet sailed through the air illuminated by the flashes of lightning that danced across the sky at the shaman’s call. The wasp stabbed his stinger for all his worth into the face of the beast. Then, as the bullet reached it’s mark and ripped a hole through the boars side, the large beast twitched and fell limp to the side.

Silence hung in the air.

Bro’teggak shouldered his rifle and scrambled to his feet then slid down the hill towards the scene of the fighting. He rushed towards the beast, pausing only long enough to see if the shaman still stood. The shaman wore a mask that resembled a wolf’s skull whose eyes glowed with the white-gold light of the fiercest bolts of lightning. Her body was wrapped tightly in furs, but most importantly, she was alive.

“Good.” Bro’teggak said. “I’ll not have kin die when I could help.”

The woman said nothing. Her fingers tightened around the grips of her axes. Bro’teggak thought she might have been annoyed with the intrusion or felt dishonored by the aid, but neither mattered to the male.

He turned his attention to the boar and rested a palm upon it’s flanks.

“This kill…” Bro’teggak said “…is in honor of our ancestors. Grommash and Blackhand. May we feast and grow strong.”

“You…” the woman said “…recognize Hellscream’s bravery?”

Bro’teggak nodded. “It was a Warsong who helped me to stand and it was the Blackrock who taught me to craft mighty weapons. I honor them both as father clans.”

The woman dropped her axes, the weighty weapons lodging inside of the thick ice. She raised her hands towards her mask and raised it off her head.

Bro’teggak looked to see who was beneath the mask and was awestruck by the face hidden beneath.

She…was beautiful, perhaps more so as blood covered her battle-rough skin.


	2. The Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What could have easily started as a fight ends up with warmth

Chel, like many Warsong Orcs, was fierce, swift, and powerful in every motion or attack. She was used to her power being plenty enough to bring down even the most tenacious foe. With her natural combat prowess backed by her potent command over storm lightning, she was certain that she could have brought down the boar on her own even at the cost of her life.

A part of her seethed at the Blackrock male’s intervention which denied her either the sole glory of the kill or a worthy death against one of Draenor’s legendary creatures. The frustration she felt made her ponder whether to challenge the male to a duel of honor on the spot and teach him a lesson at the edges of her axe.

But when he honored both of their clans and made no claim that the kill was his alone, her mood softened and the fires within cooled.

She studied Bro’teggak as she removed the wolf’s helm from her head and shook out her long flowing brunette mane. When her eyes met Bro’teggak’s she realized how deeply the other orc had fallen for her.

She smirked, sensing a boyishness to the orc suggesting he was either younger than he looked or inexperienced with a woman like her.

Easy prey, she mused.

“Tie up our catch and drag it with you. There’s a village a few miles away and this beast could…” Chel said.

Bro’teggak shook his head and pointed to the horizon.

“We don’t have time for the trek. Do you feel it?” He said. “There’s a storm coming and if it’s as bad as it feels…”

“Are you a shaman?” She said as she rested a hand on her hip.

“No.” Bro’teggak said. “But I know I won’t save a shaman just to risk her again on an ill-advised hike.”

The orcs stared into each other’s eyes. Chel saw the sincerity and concern for her in his expression and heard the consideration in his tone. She wanted to punch him for being so soft…but an unfamiliar feeling pricked at her soul silencing any complaint.

“Fine…I saw a cave just over there. We’ll weather the storm there.” Chel said.

She turned her back to Bro’teggak and strided towards the cave. As she walked, she summoned a wellspring totem to mend her wounds with a gentle splash that covered her skin and illuminated her softer curves in the moons light. She turned over her shoulders expecting Bro’teggak to already be at work tying down the boar. Instead, she found his eyes had wandered down to her hips and the round swell of her generous ass.

Chel caught herself smiling and wondered how far she could push him that night.

After all, Chel thought, he owes me for butting in.

She sashayed as she moved, emphasizing the jiggle of her softer curves and the tight dew-covered stretch in her tighter muscles.

~~~

A few hours had passed since Chel and Bro’teggak dragged the boar to a cave nearby. The meat from the boar was cut, salted, and hung to dry, while the cooking fires still smelled of flame-charred meat as prepared by Bro’teggak. Glowstick had flown to a quiet corner to sleep, his buzzing wings the only clue to his presence.

The conversation shared by the pair was engaging, with Bro’teggak being more than willing to answer any questions or share any stories that Chel had asked of him. It occurred to her that Bro’teggak must have been a sheltered orc or perhaps he had grown up as a slave, perhaps to one of the ogre tribes or to some other threat. He had that wide eyed wonder and a willingness to please that was charming…if weak.

Chel smiled to herself as a decision was reached.

“Bro’teggak.” She said.

The Blackrock met her eyes with a hum.

Chel smirked and reached up to undo the bindings that kept her armor in place. She watched as Bro’teggak’s eyes wandered over her flesh, snapping to every exposed inch as it was uncovered. She heard how his breathing grew heavier as her large tits flopped out of their restraints and could see the uncomfortable looking bulge grow beneath his slacks.

She licked her lips as she said. “We are going to mate tonight. I hope you can keep up.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sex is wonderful between orcs

Chel threw herself on top of the Blackrock orc. Her hands seized the male’s shoulders and slammed him down to the ground. She hissed in victory to taunt him as she straddled his hips. She lowered her big fat butt down upon Bro’teggak’s lap and rubbed her hot sex against the bulge that screamed for release.

“You’re mine,” Chel said “are you going to do something about it?”

She expected…wanted Bro’teggak to take control and take her. She wanted a struggle for dominance and didn’t care who came out on top as long as there was a fight. She saw and felt the potential of a powerful mate as her nether lips smeared drops of essence on his dusty leathers. All she had to do was to break in the youth and introduce him to a Warsong’s passion.

Instead the male, perhaps surprised by her aggression, laid stock still beneath her and gaped at her sensual and dangerous body. Even if she relished in the appreciation his eyes showed her, it wasn’t what she demanded of a mate.

She hissed at him and growled as she slammed her fist into Bro’teggak’s cheek.

“I didn’t come here to fuck an elf!” Chel said “Give me…WHAT…I…WA—”

Bro’teggak roared at Chel and wrapped a hand around her throat. His amber eyes had crimson shades as if his body and soul were ignited by magma. The male rolled until he was on top and cupped one of her tits in a rough tight grip. When he noticed the flush rise to the woman’s cheek, he lowered one hand to his belt and pressed down on her chest to pin her to the ground.

Chel groaned with pleasure at his ferocity, but needed more from him. She threw punches aimed for chest and face, then scratched her nails down his arms until she could see thin lines of red form across his flesh. All the while her ears were filled with the sounds of a belt buckles click and the slide of leather as he slipped down his legs.

When he was at last freed of the bothersome leathers, he tore off his loin cloth and exposed his thick girthy cock. Chel hissed in appreciation as it slapped down upon her hard tight abs.

As that cock twitched and pulsed against her flesh, the pair fought for control of the embrace until Bro’teggak at last found her wrists, held them in one hand, and forced them high above her head in a single fists grip.

“You…” Bro’teggak groaned “…will give me what I want and I’ll grant you what you need.”

Chel couldn’t help but to smirk as she twisted and gyrated her body beneath his. The motion made her large breasts jiggle and flop with every motion. Her softer curves became an undulating treat for the eyes, as her womanly features only spurred on Bro’teggak’s lusts.

As his body visibly warmed and color rose to his cheeks, she knew that she had had him…and discovered that he had captured her in return.

She wanted this…

…needed this…

…craved this so very much.

She had often had visions of meeting her mate in a cool dark space, but it was only then in a forgotten corner of Frostfire Ridge, that she understood who she was meant to belong to.

Bro’teggak pushed Chel’s legs apart with his knees and took hold of his cock as he rubbed it against her pussy. They shuddered at the sensation as their bodies screamed for the fulfillment of anticipation’s promise.

“Take me!” Chel demanded.

“As you wish.” Bro’teggak said as his hips slammed hard, forcing his length deep inside.

Chel howled. Bro’teggak groaned. Their bodies became one in that singular moment when passion and lust became adoration and love.

Chel was almost afraid that the young orc would disappoint and cum too soon before she had her fill. Virgin males were rarely up to the task of pleasing anyone, let alone a Warsong woman. But there was something fierce in Bro’teggak’s eyes as he raised his gaze from her abs, past her tits, to her lips, and at last her eyes.

He was not going to leave her unsatisfied even if it killed him.

Chel smiled and sensed his desires and raised her legs to wrap around his waist drawing him deeper…deeper…until he was sheathed as deep as he could and his sack rested on her rear.

Bro’teggak slapped a palm on Chel’s waists and curled his fingers to dig into her flesh. The other still held her wrists captive and neither of the lovers wished for anything different.

The orcs were alone in that cave for a forgotten period of time. The storm Bro’teggak predicted had arrived thundering on the wide snow covered expanses of the valley. A wind forced it’s way into the cave to blow over the lover’s flesh. The flickering fire cooled until it was little more than glowing embers covered in ash.

But neither orc cared to notice any of these events as they focused completely upon one another’s pleasure.

Chel shoved Bro’teggak off of her so she could get on her fours and purr as she waved her round ass at him. Bro’teggak accepted the invitation and took his claim of Chel, grasping a breast in one palm and wrapping his fingers around her hair with the other. Their bodies collided in lewd wet sounding slaps as they pushed themselves closer and closer to release.

Then, just as Bro’teggak felt himself losing whatever restraint and control that remained, he moved his hips back intent on cumming over the woman’s tattooed back. But Chel was insistent and backed up, force sheathing him inside of her tight hot cunt.

“You’re my mate,” Chel insisted, “give it all to me!”

Bro’teggak hesitated for all of one breath. In the next, he slammed his hips as hard as he could into his new found love. He groaned a sweet sound that reverberated off the cave walls jostling Glowstick from his hidden perch. Bro’teggak sighed with pleasure as he finally pulled free of Chel, his cock now soaked and sticky in their combined essences and need.

As he breathed in deep to collect himself, Chel turned to her back once more, not bothering to clean herself as she wrapped her arms around Bro’teggak’s neck and pulled him into an embrace.

“Mine”, they said to one another as their lips pressed together as sleep overtook them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonded before the elements

t was one thing to declare that your mate belonged to you, but another entirely to have that union recognized by the spirits.

Bro’teggak and Chel were not a typical couple. While he remained behind in the Blackrock Foundry to build weapons for the Draenei and Mag’har against The Burning Legion, Chel had often roamed and fought with great men and women, such as general Grak’zir and his friendly rival Kragg. But despite the oddness in how they interacted, their love had never waned and seemed to grow stronger and hotter by the time apart.

So when the fighting had entered a quiet lull period, none were surprised when Bro’teggak and Chel requested that shamans come to bind their hearts and souls before the spirits.

The ceremony was held in the lushest parts of Shadowmoon Valley, beneath an apple tree that bloomed with small glowing purple flowers. A soft wind blew across the grassy plains, carrying the soft scent of cooking meats and pungent meads prepared for the post celebration. Drummers played a powerful steady rhythm on Steel framed drums covered with the stretched hides of clefthooves.

Glowstick rested on a tree branch, munching on apples. His body was larger thanks to Bro’teggak’s tender care and love and radiated in the light of the tree. The wasp was otherwise quiet, even fluttering his wings far less as he looked down upon Bro’teggak and his mate.

The lovers stood side by side, dressed in leathers that were tanned just for the occasion. His right wrist was connected to her left by a long string of beads and pearls that symbolically tied their fates to one another. The Blackrock orc was prouder than he had ever been before and Chel shared a rare open smile as she took a darted glance at her love’s smiling face.

“Throm’ka friends!” Said the shaman chosen to perform the ceremony. “We are here to celebrate and ask for blessings from the spirits as we bring these two orcs together.”

The shaman paused and gazed across the room. Most of the guests were orcs who smiled and slammed fists against their chests in approval. Three of the guests were draenei who had close ties to the Mag’har and were welcomed to the union for their valor against The Burning Legion. Though they were quiet in comparison to the orcs, it was clear that they were happy for the couple.

“Bro’teggak,” the shaman said, “Do you bind your fate to this woman? Are you willing to bleed for her? Protect her? Help her grow strong?”

Bro’teggak nodded. “I will.”

“Chel,” the shaman said, “Do you bind your fate to this man? Are you willing to bleed for him? Protect him? Help him grow strong?”

Chel smiled. “I will.”

The shaman turned his back to the couple and raised his hand high to the sky.

“Then I call upon the spirits of Lightning and Flame to bless this union. Let their hearts and souls become forged iron. Their their minds and bodies become tempered steel. Will you bless their union?” said the Shaman.

The clouds in the sky parted open. The moon’s light dimmed as a storm came. The air had the taste of rainwater and the hint of charred wood tickled the senses. A bright flash came and blinded all except for Bro’teggak and Chel, who watched as a bolt of lightning smashed down upon the soil and erupted a perfect circle into a comforting pyre.

Just as soon as it came, the storm left and the sound of drumming was overshadowed by the roars and applause of the guests.

The shaman said something about how Bro’teggak and Chel were now a couple in spirit and name, but neither orc cared as they fell into each other’s arms for their first true kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First night mating as a couple

Later that night

The celebrations following the wedding was a wild raucous affair. Orcs bellowed and chanted their hopes for blessings from the spirits. Elders nodded and offered advice on how Bro’teggak and Chel could best serve each other and the clan. Children who found the whole thing too dull were off to the side playing games of Wolf and Hare. While the few draenei in attendance even laughed as they drank from Orcish wines.

But even the proud husband and wife could only bear so much before a primal urge took them.

They seized the opportunity to slip away from their own party, just as most the guests were cutting into a boar that was seared just right for the evening meal.

Under cover of darkness, their footsteps masked by laughter and drumming, they made their way to their hut at the eastern edge of the village. They slipped inside and pulled the tent flap shut, with Bro’teggak pausing only long enough to ask Glowstick to keep watch and ward away any who’d disrupt their own marital ritual.

At last, when they were alone, time slowed and Chel smiled at her mate with a hungry look in her eyes.

She smirked at Bro’teggak. “Are you going to fuck me? Or does the elf want to admire his bride?” She said.

Bro’teggak laughed and leapt for his mate, seizing her by her hips and sweeping clean off her feet. Chel laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck and smothered him between her large soft breasts.

Bro’teggak growled and threw her onto a trophy stand, pushing away his collection of metals and stones to make room for his mate’s big round butt.

“Elf? Would an elf make you howl loud enough that our ancestors demand we keep it down?” He said as he fumbled with the belt of his ceremonial robes.

Chel tugged on Bro’teggak’s hair to force him to look in her eyes. “Make me howl. I will bear your cubs!”

Bro’teggak snarled and tore off his belt, not caring if the leather was ruined or not. As he felt his pants fall to his ankles, he captured Chel’s lips in a hungry kiss, his second as a married man.

Chel moaned into that kiss and caressed his cheeks and shoulders with a soft lover’s touch. She felt like hot lava as her mate manhandled her and made her his own. Bro’teggak moaned with each tender caress from his fierce love. His body tingled as tiny surges of lightning ran up and down his flesh.

Chel smiled when she felt her lover’s cock press against her thigh.

“You’re ready for me aren’t you?” She said.

He grinned and touched his forehead to hers, his eyes locked tight with her own. He trailed his hand down her front until his fingertip touched her hot, wet, nether lips.

“But are you ready for me?” He said.

He grabbed her hips and jerked her towards the edge of the stand. She laughed at his strength and moaned at the fire in his eyes. He bucked his hips forward and filled her pussy. She rolled her head back and hissed a loud cry of “YES”.

Bro’teggak wasted no time. His body had craved hers for the weeks she was on the line and he was in the foundry. He needed to see her breasts jiggle with every hard thrust. He craved the feel of her pussy tightening around him, too greedy to let him loose. He loved the way she would claw at his back and demand him to go harder and deeper as well as the way her thighs wrapped around his waist as she grew closer.

The thumping of the stand against the sturdy wood frames of the hut was a percussion to their passions and lust. The moans of the lovers were a chorus that sang praises to their love. The slap of their palms across the others hips, shoulders, and ass was a treat for the ears, just as their carnal dance was a treat for their bodies.

Chel’s body was covered in sweat as she felt her heat stoked by her lover and husband. She arched her back and laced her fingers together behind Bro’teggak’s neck. Her body felt weightless as she submitted fully to his need as he bounced her up and down on his cock while carrying her aloft. She moaned and gazed at nothing at all as her vision was clouded and focused on only the fierce loving sounds and sight of her mate and heart.

Finally, as their bodies crashed together, their minds and spirits knew that it wouldn’t be much longer. Chel knew that her lover enjoyed covering her in his seed the first time they had sex in an evening, but she needed more than anything at all to feel his lust filling her up. She wanted to swim in that sensation and prayed that the spirits would bless them with a child.

Her nails turned inward and dug into his flesh as she hissed in a voice that was thick with lust and demand.

“If you pull out now…Mmmnghh…I will beat you!” She said.

Bro’teggak grinned and shook his head. He had no intention of pulling out now.

Their bodies crashed together. Their moans became a chorus. Beads of sweat trailed down the few inches of flesh their kisses, bites, and caresses had not yet reached. Then as moans became howls that shook the sky with pure bliss, their minds were lost to sweet release.

They breathed deeply. Their chests rose and fell. Their motions were languid, happy, and soft. It was a rare moment of vulnerability between the two orcs that only they should ever see in the other. His eyes met hers. His smile mirrored his. As he sat in a nearby seat and she cradled against him the only words that came to their minds were one and the same.

I love you.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The threat of the Lightbound brings the couple to blows

Several Years Later

The beating of hammers on metal. The sizzle and spit of magma. The jingling of rattling chains as links were pulled upon the great Blackrock Foundry machinery.

These were sounds that Bro’teggak was very familiar with even as far back as his youth. He remembered feeling pride in his duty as a smith, even back when he was but a child forgiving blades and caltrops for Blackhand’s great war machine. At the time he could imagine nowhere else that he’d want to be, then on one of the great assembly lines to arm his brothers and sisters.

But as his mind wandered towards the fight against the Lightbound, he resented his skills with a vitriol like none other.

The Draenei had attacked last summer, breaking the peace that had bloomed between their peoples. Many orcs who had found faith in their cursed Light had even gunned down their very kin upon a Naaru’s orders. The thought of it made him sick, especially since his mate was out there fighting while he remained far behind the lines.

He often thought of throwing down his hammers, retrieving his rifle, and rushing to the front with Glowstick at his side. But to turn traitor and not finish even a single blade, may have meant that one of his kin would go defenseless.

As he thought of his mate, he reached for the weapon that would be his masterpiece, when a loud shout and the crash and boom of thunder jerked him from his darker thoughts.

Bro’teggak sighed and threw down his apron to see if his hunch was correct.

He traveled across the foundry lines pushing past orcs who were busy with their labor. Some gave Bro’teggak a smirk while others spoke Chel’s name. It seemed that many on the line suspected the same thing he did.

Chel was never one to take a subtle approach.

“Calm yourself woman!” said an orc guard as Bro’teggak turned the last corner to the western door.

“Where is my mate?” said Chel as she struggled against the three orcs who held her down and kept her hands away from her axes.

Bro’teggak sighed and smiled despite himself.

“I’m here!” he said. “Let her go, I’ll handle this.”

The guards gave each other a look as if deciding if they should trust Chel on her own.

“I’ll accept the blame if she breaks anything. I assume she hasn’t hurt anyone?” Bro’teggak said.

“Not this time,” said the guard.

Chel looked at her mate and met his eyes. She breathed deep and let her muscles relax. The sign of calm was enough for the guards who released her then stepped well out of arm’s reach, and then away.

Bro’teggak growled and stomped his foot as he neared his mate.

“What did I tell you about making demands and smashing open doors? With the Lightbound threat drawing nearer we can’t afford that distraction!” he said.

Chel grasped her axe’s and hooked them to her side. She snarled and grabbed for Bro’teggak’s collar and jerked him towards her face. Bro’teggak gripped her shoulders and growled shoving her back against the wall and pressed close so that his chest crushed against her breasts.

“I need you on the front line, my heart.” She said.

Bro’teggak grit his teeth. This had been a frequent argument these days.

“My place is here, making the weapons for our clan.”

She shook her head. “How many orcs do you have down here? Thousands, hundreds? I know the generals are drawing more abled bodied orcs to join the front line. Why are you still here?”

He shoved her back against the wall and pressed his forehead to hers.

“Because I am one of the most experienced smiths still alive. My weapons still hold up even after years of prolonged combat! If I don’t make arms and armor then our people may die.”

She snarled and shoved him back then kicked the back of his knees making his smaller legs stagger and buckle. She threw herself upon him and shook his shoulders banging his body against the steel flooring.

“If you are not with me, then I may die before we have children!”

Bro’teggak twisted and kicked out from beneath Chel’s grasp and pressed his knee to the small of her back. He seized control of her wrist and twisted her arm back to keep her in place.

“DO YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW THAT?!” Bro’teggak said. “Every day I pray that the spirits will bring you back to me. Every…damn…day!”

Chel swung a backfist that crashed into Bro’s cheek rattling his brain until he lost his grip. She whirled around and pounced on him and straddled his lap. Her hands found his and held them tight as she growled.

As Bro’teggak readied himself to strike at his mate, he noticed that her eyes were wet with tears and his heart melted.

“Chel?” he said.

“Shut up! Just shut up, my heart!” Chel said as her body shivered and shook. Her lip quivered and tears dribbled down onto Bro’s cheek. “You don’t know what the Draenei are using. Machines that rain fire from the skies. Technology that outpaces the best of the Iron Horde. I don’t know if I can stay alive without you at my side. Please…ask for a transfer.”

Bro’teggak sighed and rubbed her fingers with his. It hurt to see her reduced to tears like this. She was always the stronger one, the might to his mail. The hint of concern and fear that marked her tone and words was so shocking to him that it almost made him agree to her demands…but then he thought of General Grak’zir and recalled hearing that his knife that he wielded in battle was what allowed him to overcome a Lightbound Paladin.

His weapons, his equipment saved lives…and he couldn’t run the risk of sacrificing the Clan so that he could fight by his mate’s side.

Bro’teggak sighed. “Listen, my soul. I can’t. I can’t leave the foundry as long as there’s need for my equipment.”

“But…” she said.

He sat up and shushed her with a kiss.

“I am not leaving you either…come. Get off me and follow.”

Chel released Bro’teggak’s hands and slid off his lap. She helped Bro’teggak to his feet. The Blackrock took his mate’s waist in hand and walked her through the foundry back to his station on the assembly line.

The walk was in silence and both orcs felt the eyes of their kin as if they wondered if Chel or Bro would be the first to break out into blows.

When they arrived, Bro’teggak motioned with a hand towards the anvil that was his own upon which was a large hammer made of the richest and purest Truesteel that Chel had ever seen. But as she gazed upon the work, which was bound by a leather grip stained black with squid ink, she noticed that the metal seemed to crackle with a touch of lightning.

“What is this?” she said.

Bro’teggak took the hammer in hand and shoved it into his mate’s grip.

“I forged this for you, my soul.” Bro’teggak said. “It’s a truesteel hammer that has been blessed by an elemental of storms. The grip made from a hundred year old Talbuk’s skin. It’s my finest work…and it’s now yours.” He looked into her eyes as he spoke. “I will never make a weapon as fine as this and I know that one day it will be the weapon that earns a name saving our people. As long as you wield that hammer, I will never be far away.”

“Bro’teggak…” she said.

He shook his head. “Don’t say anything. That hammer will see you home so that I can see my soul again and you can see your heart.”

He smiled and rested a palm over the small of her back and drew her closer.

As she dropped one of her axes on the ground and hooked her new hammer to her belt, Chel seized his hand and lowered it down to the round weight of her ass and grinned.

“I’ll kill many Draenei with this weapon and if the spirits are willing, we’ll have our family by Winter.” She said.

Bro’teggak smiled and cupped her cheek.

“I know. Now get out of here and get back to the Generals. I have work to do.” He chuckled.

Chel growled and punched Bro’teggak’s shoulder then pulled him in for a kiss. For the first time in months, Bro’teggak had no doubts that Chel and him would find each other, no matter what happened.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Broken apart

Three Years Later

Watching the end of her home was the second hardest event in Chel’s life.

Beastwatch may have been one of the last holdouts for the Mag’har on the world of Draenor. She had always held out hope that the Mag’har could somehow push back the technological and fanatical might of the Draenei and the Lightbound traitors. But that hope was snuffed when she saw Eitrigg, the first green orc she had ever seen since the Iron Horde invasion nearly 30 years ago.

At the time she wondered why the Horde had come to her world. Rumors quickly spread that the Horde was in need of help against their fight against the foul Alliance. At the time she scoffed, since it was the Mag’har who needed help and surely if the Horde were as strong as the oldest of the orcs claimed, then they could find other allies to help them.

But the scoffing stopped as the Lightbound made their assault upon Beastwatch.

The Naaru’s weapons of corrupted Light and the savagery of kin who fell prey to their lies to become servants of the bastards and usurpers were quickly pushing back the lines far too much for her liking. The only thing that the others on the line could ask was whether or not they could hold out and save their world or if all was truly lost.

Chel was resting behind a barricade of thick wooden spikes lined with the hardiest blackrock metal bands that could be found. Her axe was by her side, still red with Draenei and ogre blood, while she held Bro’teggak’s hammer close to chest. It was as close to her husband’s embrace as she could find this far away from the backlines where Bro’teggak served.

She shut her eyes and bit down upon her lip until it bled to keep the tears from coming to her face. Her brothers and sisters in the Mag’har clan needed everyone to be strong and she couldn’t afford to break down yet.

She heard the snarling of wolves and heard a familiar voice in Overlord Geya’rah. They weren’t close enough to notice her, but Chel listened to learn what Eitrigg and the Horde champion had discovered.

“…High Exarch will not relent. Fanatics never do” said Overlord Geya’rah.

“…And what of these heroes from Azeroth? Were they of aid to you?” said Grommash Hellscream.

“They fought with courage. I admit…I judged you harshly, Eitrigg. You as well, champion.” Said Overlord Geya’rah.

Chel listened intently. The group spoke of Grommash’s debt to the Horde and agreed to send a company of volunteers to join the Horde in their fight. Chel expected as much, as Grommash’s honor was legendary and renowned. She would have turned away to prepare for the next assault upon the Draenei when she heard the Overlord’s next words.

“Me. Along with a company of volunteers. With your permission, warchief.” Overlord Geya’rah said.

Chel couldn’t believe it? What had the Horde champion and Eitrigg done to impress the overlord so thoroughly? Did they exhibit honor and ferocity that warranted her absence from the field?

She swayed side to side as she tried to take it all in when a consideration came to mind that she felt guilty over.

If Bro’teggak and I volunteer. We can fight together once again?

She hated the thought as it came to her mind. Even if the Mag’har had a debt to repay, was it hers to pay? Did she have to abandon her brothers and sisters on the line just so she could be reunited with her heart? She rubbed a palm over her stomach and thought back to how the cursed weapons of the Mag’har may have kept her from bearing a child for her mate and the hard tears that came to the couple at the news.

Even if the Mag’har would overthrow the Draenei oppressors and reclaim their home, how many children would go unborn in this terrible bitter war.

To leave and feel as if she exchanged her life for her brothers or to stay and risk never having the family that she and Bro’teggak craved. That was the choice…

…or was a choice before the Draenei forced a decision.

“Warchief Hellscream! An army approaches!”

Chel didn’t bother to listen to anything else. She seized her axe from the ground and clambered up to the highest point of the engagement ready to see what raiding party would fall to her powers that day. She was thirsty for revenge against the Draenei who dared force her to consider flight as an option. But that thirst for revenge was snuffed when she saw the wide line that approached Beastwatch from the Northeast.

“It’s…it’s their entire force? This…this is the last fight isn’t it?” She said.

She took in the assembled line from east to west and lost track of the endless legions of golden machines, glowing spears, and damnable Draenei, orcs, and ogres who all wore the robes of slaves and servants. The elements screamed to her soul as if even the trees and soil knew that this could be the day that Draenor dies. The singular purpose evident in the teeming throng threatened to chill Chel to the spot, but nothing was as chilling as the sole figure who walked a quarter mile ahead of the others.

High Exarch Yrel.

“CHEL!” shouted an orc from down below. “MOVE YOUR ASS!”

Chel snapped out of her reverie and looked down upon the orc. She couldn’t recall his name at the moment, but she could tell that he was a general of the armies and her superior.

Without a word she clambered back down to the ground and slammed a fist against her chest in salute.

“No time for that,” the orc said as he stared at her through his one unscarred eye, “The warchief has given orders. We are to retreat to Azeroth.”

Chel shook her head.

“What? But we have family here to defend! We have homes to…” she said.

The general clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Enough! We are warsong, sister. When our warchief gives orders, we follow. I hate to admit it…” he growled. “But Beastwatch is lost. We have to withdraw so that one day we may return home.”

Chel’s response was quick. “But what of the new foundry? My husband is…”

“Lantressor has been sent to retrieve him. Some have already been moved through the new portal. If your husband still lives, then he’ll meet us on Azeroth.”

She wanted to argue. She wanted to shove him away. She wanted to race to her mount and make it to the foundry to be sure. But as the first of the cursed Naaru spells burned through the tower she had just escaped sending it into a clattering pile of burnt wood and smoldering opes, she knew that if she delayed…then even if Bro’teggak still lived, she would not.

“Fine…” she said. “I’ll go.”

The general nodded and pointed to the south. “Hurry, the portal won’t remain open long and this may be our last chance. The Overlord is already moving.”

Chel nodded to the orc, then turned on a heel. As she raised her fingers to her mouth to whistle for her mount, she turned back and watched as the man drew a familiar truesteel knife from a hip holster and tossed it into the eyes of a draenei that had tried to sneak upon the pair.

“General?” she said.

“Just go!” He ordered. “I won’t die to these weaklings.”

Chel nodded then whistled for her mount.

She patted the wolf’s head then barked along with the wolf as they made for the portal without ever looking back.

Whatever mysteries, adventures, and battles Azeroth would offer, none of it mattered as long as she found Bro’teggak on the other side no matter how long it took.

“You can’t steal my heart, husband. I’ll chase you to the Shadowlands myself to reunite us.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue

Life hadn’t been kind to Bro’teggak since the exodus. An ogre had managed to crack his skull open during the maddened rush from the Foundry knocking him out cold. It had been four days since then before he awoke in a strange bed in a strange land called Durotar.

After coming to his senses and realizing how close he was to death, the orc ran to the site of the portal nearly every day and consulted shamans whenever he could to know if his wife had made it to Azeroth as well. When a month had passed without word, he had grown into a deep depression, as if his soul had been left behind on Draenor. While Glowstick was always by his side and a constant reminder of better days, the fire all but left the Blackrock orc.

He had fallen into mercenary bands that abused his staunch adherence to orders and structure. He had fallen into bed with an alluring tauren and fell for the simple affections of another. But none of these feelings, passions, or jobs mattered as much to him as his smithing and, more importantly, the woman who held his soul within her breast.

It was towards the middle of winter when he found himself working for the Charred Fist Clan beneath the guidance of a Laughing Skull, that he was finally entrusted with an important task; to claim land that would serve to make a village for him and his newfound kin.

The assembled orcs that would join him in charging into the more lush parts of the barrens to push out the occupying Centaurs looked upon him. These orcs, Bro’teggak noticed, had the same lack of fire that he felt inside of him. Some had other projects in mind, others lacked guidance from the chieftain who had been absent on a hunt for a warlock, and still others just didn’t seem to care.

He couldn’t blame them. It was hard to treat this land as their own while their home burned for all they knew.

Chel, Bro’teggak thought, where are you, when I need you?

“Brothers and sisters of the Clan,” Bro’teggak said, “hear now the will of our chieftain!”

He parted his words to speak when he noticed that some of the clan now looked over Bro’teggak’s right shoulder. Even Glowstick had turned to look as well, then promptly chittered and flew to whomever had arrived.

The Blackrock orc raised an eyebrow, then turned.

“Who are you stranger that you interrupt—” he said.

The words that followed died in his throat as he looked upon a female of the Warsong clan who rubbed Glowstick’s head and antennae. She had a warm smile on her face that showed even beneath a familiar wolf’s head helmet. Even if her body had grown harder from months of labor and fighting. Her curves, her stance, and the familiar hammer that hung from her right side hip were unmistakable.

Bro’teggak smiled. “Chel, my soul?”

Chel turned to Bro’teggak, winked, then punched him in the shoulder. “I’m here my heart. But don’t act like an elf. We have something to kill and land to claim don’t we?”

Bro’teggak smiled. He didn’t know how she had found him. He didn’t even really care. All that he knew was that Heart and Soul were now reunited, and he’d make sure that that would never change.


End file.
